Don Giovanni
Jun. 6th, 2007 12:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
desperanceSo I'm just back from Samling's 'Don Giovanni' at the Sage in Gateshead, and - well, it was a wonderful evening, but where were you?
Look, this is a young cast, yes. But it's directed by Tom Allen (that's Sir Thomas Allen to you, and I'm sure you don't need reminding that he was the premier Don of his or any generation), conducted by Thomas Zehetmair, with Christopher Maltman as the Don. They're using a bone-bare stage, cloaks for costumes, no props - this production is all about the music. Except that the small orchestra's invisible in a pit, all bar a continuo foregrounded on the stage; Don G is the most intimate of Mozart's opera scores, and this production is all about the singing. Which is, for the most part, fabulous. Maltman is well worth all the fuss, and is very well supported, tho' the surprise of the evening is Don Ottavio, sung by Adrian Ward. Startlingly young, and a clear pure tone, moving beyond expression.
And yet, and yet - there were empty seats. It wasn't sold out. How is this? As I said above, where were you?
You still have two nights to redeem yourselves. Get there, by any means practicable. Mortgage your homes, your souls, your precious honours...
There. I promised the producer I would blog, and I have blogged. And I mean every word of it. You're missing a treat.
Look, this is a young cast, yes. But it's directed by Tom Allen (that's Sir Thomas Allen to you, and I'm sure you don't need reminding that he was the premier Don of his or any generation), conducted by Thomas Zehetmair, with Christopher Maltman as the Don. They're using a bone-bare stage, cloaks for costumes, no props - this production is all about the music. Except that the small orchestra's invisible in a pit, all bar a continuo foregrounded on the stage; Don G is the most intimate of Mozart's opera scores, and this production is all about the singing. Which is, for the most part, fabulous. Maltman is well worth all the fuss, and is very well supported, tho' the surprise of the evening is Don Ottavio, sung by Adrian Ward. Startlingly young, and a clear pure tone, moving beyond expression.
And yet, and yet - there were empty seats. It wasn't sold out. How is this? As I said above, where were you?
You still have two nights to redeem yourselves. Get there, by any means practicable. Mortgage your homes, your souls, your precious honours...
There. I promised the producer I would blog, and I have blogged. And I mean every word of it. You're missing a treat.